Chicken Story Continues

Then Lipok burned all the little hairs and things off by rotating the chicken over the stove. After that part, he cut open the chicken and started removing the intestines and different things. There were only two parts he threw away. One part inside the chicken that collects rice (that's what they feed the chickens) and one piece that was inside the head, the rest of the head went into the curry, along with everything else. One of the most interesting parts was when he cleaned out the stomach. He flipped over one part and all of the undigested/digesting food was inside and it was bright yellow. He cleaned that out and put the actual stomach along with all of the other parts to be cleaned.

Then he just started cutting the chicken into pieces to be cooked. It was so odd, because just a few minutes ago we had a living chicken, making real loud noises, and now it was fully cut up and being prepared for cooking. I was blown away by how fast he did everything and how well he knew every organ and inner working of the chicken. He told us that he had grown up from a young age killing and cooking chickens and everything else. He did a really good job. I guess for many people it's real normal, but for Bev and I, we were in awe of the whole process, because we grew up buying chicken in clean packages at the store.

Tada! Chicken Curry.

Beverley and I learned how to make chapatis. They're real tasty with all sorts of curries. You mix atta, some sort of flour, with water. Then it has to be kneaded for a while and rolled into a circle. It needs to be real thin, or else it won't cook all the way through. Then you fry it on a pan, with no butter or oil.

After the chicken is cleaned, we started cooking it with garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and a myriad of other spices. It smelled so good and we were all becoming incredible hungry.

We boiled some mustard leaves as well and had a lovely lunch. One thing that we were laughing at that still surprises me every time, is that Nagas really love all sorts of meat. They don't like to waste any part of the chicken, and so Lipok for his first serving of chicken, ate the head, and claws.

We had such a good time and laughed and laughed and laughed. It was sure tasty.

Dave is on a train heading Southwest for a few days of meetings in a nearby state. So I'll be a little lonely for the next few days. Tomorrow is Bev's birthday and we're going to kill a chicken for lunch to celebrate. I've been looking forward to it for days. Actually I'm a little nervous about the whole thing, but it'll definitely be an adventure.

Today we went to the Tibetan Monastery and it was raining on us a bit. This Monastery is quite a journey from us and many times throughout the past couple of years we have tried to build relationships with the monks there. We take a taxi and then from there we take a walk up some hills, stairs, and more hills. One of our friends affectionately calls it, "mountain climbing." It's really beautiful up there and quiet as it is surrounded by trees and little else on most sides.

We were talking to some of the monks and it was interesting to hear about their lives. Lipok asked one of them why he was a Lama and he answered that both of his parents had wanted him to be one, so that thay would have peace in their lives. If they sacrificed their son to the life of a monk, all of the days of their life, they would be blessed. So when he was young, they gave him to the monastery and he's been a monk since then. There are around 13 monks at this monastery.

There are literally hundreds of prayer flags that wave over the monastery and out over the city. They believe that every time that the wind blows them, their prayers are heard. We found out that every Wednesday, a large amount ofTibetans in our area go to the Monastery to hang these prayer flags so that they will get strength in their lives.

Lipok and Sanni

We have been spending a lot of time the past couple of weeks with Lipok and Sanni, planning and structuring the new prayer ministry here. This couple is incredibly precious to us. She is from Germany and he is from Nagaland. They have both worked several years with a House of Prayer in Delhi and have committed to starting a prayer ministry in our city now. We are so excited. As we have gathered together and started seeking God concerning this ministry, we are truly looking forward to the weeks and months to come. We all have a heart for worship and prayer, as well as reaching out to our city in practical ways, so we are looking at a schedule that will include both prayer and outreach. We have also been searching for a building that we can be working out of. We have between 28-30 staff right now (which is more than we've ever had) and so we are in need of more housing anyway. We are still continuing to run the same training programs that we always do, but we are expanding with this new ministry as well as in mumber of those who want to join and work with us. It's really a neat time and we are very thankful for all of the quality people that surround us.

There are so many things going on and so many stories to tell. The pictures haven't been uploading today and it's a little frustrating. I've updated some pictures of our time in the States in the "my pictures" link, they're mostly of our families.

Beverley's birthday is on Saturday and we are going to Lipok and Sanni's house to celebrate. Here in Shillong it's cheaper to buy a live chicken (85 rupees, a little under two dollars) than it is to buy it de-feathered, so Lipok and Sunny are going to show me how to kill and de-feather it. This is a true adventure for me as I was a vegetarian for about 14 years and only started cooking meat after getting married. When they first told me about it, I had imagined a headless chicken running around, with lots of blood spurting all over the kitchen. But they told me that there is a way to break it's backbone and it dies suddenly. So let's see, maybe in the days to come I will have many interesting pictures to share with you all.

Dave has been super busy these days and he is happy that way. He gave the message at church on Sunday and did a good job, I'm quite biased though. He will be leaving on Friday for a few days for some meetings in a different city, so he'll miss out on the chicken adventure.

Toshi

Toshi is a very good friend of Dave's. He has known and worked extensively with him for about 7 years and considers him to be one of his closest friends here. He has been very sick for the past few months and I just wanted to post a few excerpts from some e-mails that our friends were sending out for the sake of prayer.

As soon as Dave found out how serious it was, he got off the phone and wept. The next day he went and visited him to pray for him and check on Toshi and his family. He said that he has never seen him look this thin and sick before. (He's not been able to eat anything since January.)It has been pretty bad. At one point Toshi couldn't remember the name of his two children. There have been quite a few times that he couldn't have any sort of pain medication because of the nature of his injuries and surgeries and has been in great pain. We have been praying for him and would just ask that you would remeber him as well.

Again, the following are excerpts from some e-mails that our friends have sent out...

Dec. 9th

We have a special request...a close friend of ours here in Guwahati just found out yesterday that he needs to have a gallbladder operation. His name is Toshi, and we've known him for the last six years or so through Y*AM. He's having gall stones, and it looks likesome stones have already come out and he's at risk of jaundice. Hehas already talked to a doctor whom he knows personally and who iswilling to do the operation for the minimum expense, which comes to around Rs.25,000...that is, about $570. They don't have any money to do this, and have asked us to forward this request to anyone who might help. They're hoping to do the operation sometime next week, since that's the soonest the doctor is available. Please pray that Toshi won't have any further complications before he can do the operation next week and if you would like to help contribute towards the cost, please reply to us and we will let you know how.


Dec. 20th

I wanted to give you an update on our friend Toshi who had his gallbladder surgery. The operation went well, though there were complications because of a prior appendix removal that was not done properly several years ago. After 4 hours of surgery, he is recovering and actually coming home today. He's a bit sad that he'll never be able to enjoy the Indian pork curries again that he's so fond of...but as they say here, "kya karega" What to do! :)
I can't tell you enough how grateful and overwhelmingly blessed Toshi is by all your prayers and support for him. Without your help, this kind of operation would have put him into serious debt that would have taken years to recover from. He is such a good friend of ours, and to see the way that God provided for his needs and then some, is amazing for us to witness as well! Thank you...

Feb. 11th

Please continue to pr*y for our friend Toshi who had the gallbladder surgery in December. He was recovering well, but about 3 weeks ago,he took a turn for the worse. He's been in the hospital for the last 2 weeks unable to eat or drink anything, and has become extremely weak. Joshua & I visited him yesterday, and they had just gotten the results from the latest tests which showed that there is an obstruction in his intestinal area which is preventing him from eating anything. He needs another operation to remove the blockage and will hopefully have it in the next day or two. Please pr*y that the operation will go smoothly and that he will recover quickly!! Toshi had the operation on Feb. 12th in the Satribari Hospital here in Guwahati and is still there now. They needed to do extensive repair on his intestines and he was under for almost 4 hours again. It's been a week and a half now and he's surviving only on an IV since he's unable to take any food or water by mouth. They tried water 2 days ago, but it was not staying in his intestines, so they're going to wait a few more days hoping that the stitches will heal a bit more and try again. He shared with Joshua & I that the money he was blessed with for the previous operation is finished and they are now in debt to the hospital around Rs.70,000 ($1600) as of today. This includes the last operation to remove the blockage in his intestines, staying in the hospital for almost 1 month now, and the IV saline & nutritional supplements that's keeping him alive. Please do pray for Toshi, and if you would like to help contribute towards his medical bills, please let us know.

small catastrophe

We stopped in Thailand for a couple of days to meet some friends, and to get some dental work done and I thought that I would get a haircut while we were there because it's cheaper and they usually do a good job. So I go to a salon sort of place that I've been before, and waited for awhile until a hairdresser was free.

While I was waiting, I looked through a few magazines and picked out a picture of what I wanted my hair to look like, something sort of shoulder length. My hair had grown quite long and I wanted a few inches off. So I show the lady the picture and she looks at it and then starts cutting. A few minutes later, my stomach starts to hurt as she cuts more and more and more inches off. I just kept thinking of my poor husband who I had to beg to even cut my hair, period.

Minutes go by, and she's still cutting and using a razor sort of thing and I feel like I'm nearly going to cry. I ended up just closing my eyes until she was finished. I tried real hard to smile at her and say thank you, but my stomach was seriously hurting. I have never had my hair this short since being a baby, and I leave the salon dreading the moment when I see my husband, so scared about what he is going to say.

He was incredibly gracious and kind and said he would love me no matter what my hair looked like. But still, it was a small catastrophe. It sure is a lot easier to take care of here, but it makes me real nervous whenever I see myself in the mirror. Dave keeps telling me that it's going to grow back, so I guess everything is going to be ok.

there and back again

We are safely back in Shillong after a busy couple of months. We were so happy and privileged to be able to come home and visit with both of our families during the Holiday Season and to have a time of rest and refreshing. We have definitely had a tremendous amount of adventures and blessings along the way and our hearts are full. At the same time we are happy to be back in our home, unpacked with our slippers on.

Life here certainly did not stop while we were gone and so we come back to a great flurry of activities and to really cold weather as well. The Discipleship Training School is running and there are 14 students from all over the Northeast taking part in it, plus we have a large number of staff that have joined in the past few months. We have been meeting with another couple about a new prayer ministry that we are starting here and we are all really excited about that.

So we have been back for a couple of days and have been trying to clean our house, unpack, meet with all of the staff, and just get adjusted to the time difference.

Barbecue Day

It has been so very cold here these day and somehow that's just the right weather for a barbecue. A few nights ago we had a barbecue and our neighbors below also had one the same evening. If you look carefully, in one of the pictures you will see 7-8 chickens tied together. I was surprised when I crossed one of our neighbors carrying a bundle of flapping chickens down the stairs. They had built a big fire and were preparing for the feast. I watched them for a while from our balcony.

Every single one of our Northeast friends really loves meat, of many kinds, and barbecues are a time for telling stories. My friend Tovi was telling me that they don't throw anything away. He loves telling foreigners all of his stories because our eyes get real big and surprised every time. He told us that his family is killing a pig as soon as he comes home. The first curry that they make is with the blood and and they just simply stir it and add a few spices and some pork fat. He loves telling us about how he likes to eat the eyeball and ear and tail and everything. One time his friend had caught a deer and the family had cooked everything and had given him half of the full deer head (brains, eyeball, everything), he loves this sort of stuff. But he told me that his family doesn't eat duck because the ducks eat a lot of earth worms.

Prayer

After such a long time, it's hard to know where to begin. I am deeply sorry for the great lapse in communication. I was having problems with my computer and the internet connection and someone had borrowed our camera cord as well, so it wasn't possible to post pictures. I know that many people were worried that something had happened to us, but we are doing well.

For the past couple of months we have been involved with a School of Intercessory Prayer that has been mostly a prayer assignment focused on asking God to release people from North East India into the surrounding nations. The local people in this region are connected to at least 23 countries of the 10/40 window ethnically, linguistically, culturally and or geographically. This means they have a natural link, and a closer tie to the unreached peoples in these countries.
Actually we have prayed for many nations, and many different things, but we really believe in the Church in the North East and believe that they have a great inheritance in the nations. We have so many stories and testimonies of answered prayers and we are encouraged more than ever that prayer is essential in all that we do. We can do nothing apart from Him.

There are around 50 people here during this time of prayer from several different nations: Germany, South Korea, Switzerland, America, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, and obviously the majority are Northeasterners. There are such quality people in our midst and it has been an incredible time.

We spend a lot of time in prayer and worship, as well as classes, and practical activities. One of these pictures is of Houser in the prayer room that everyone is encouraged to spend at least two hours in a week. One of the major weeks here was a Prayer Summit here in Shillong that Houser was highly involved in planning and it was open to everyone. North East India Summit 2006 went off with a great bang Oct 31 - Nov 4 here in our home city! More than 350 attended the 4 day conference from 15 countries, 19 states of India (including all 8 NE states), 50 different people groups spread across more than 43 different denominations, missions and church groups! It was an amazing time as we prayed for every country in the 10/40 window and people committed their lives to serving God in the surrounding regions.

This next week we are going to be doing some outreach as we go and pray for some different churches and leaders in Shillong, go to some hospitals and minister to people there, as well as a longer outreach, about three hours away. After this school, there are two teams going on longer outreaches, but we will be heading home for the holidays. Hooray!

Houser has been especially busy these days with his normal leadership roles as well as helping with the summit and the new responsibilities that this school has brought. These days have gone by so quickly and they have been very full and rich.

Oh, there is so much to say and so many stories to tell, maybe we can catch up face to face in the next few weeks.

SOFM Graduation

In the beginning of October we had the SOFM Commissioning to celebrate the graduation of the students. We had a time of worship and encouragement and some of the students sang songs and performed different cultural dances. There were many tears and more laughs as we shared stories and remembered the previous three months. That's one of the hardest things to get used to, constantly saying goodbye to people that we have built deep relationships with and have come to love.

Several of the students have a heart for Bhutan, and the majority of the rest have a heart for China. It was a true pleasure to get to know and love these precious people and we are excited to see what the next years will unfold in their lives.

the seasons are changing

The picnic to Cherapunjee was a hit and a much needed refreshment for everyone involved. I didn't go because I wasn't feeling well but everyone had an incredible time. Because it was the right time of the year, they saw so many waterfalls and beautiful things. It's about a three hour drive to there from our home and they stopped for some lunch a couple hours into the trip. They stopped many places to look at different points and waterfalls and once they got to Cherapunjee they walked around a bit, played some games and had some snacks. Houser had a really good time and even got a little sun burnt.

I am feeling one hundred percent better these days. The antibiotics helped so much and I am back to my normal self again. The seasons are changing in our lives in so many ways. The past week it has startes to get really cold here and we are having to use jackets and more blankets. I love it. I keep telling Houser, it feels like Christmastime.

This weekend we had a huge project and changed our house around. We moved our bedroom into our sitting room and our sitting room into our bedroom. I'll try to post some pictures. It took hours and we did alot of Spring cleaning, but we are really happy with the results.

Also I am now officially finished with staffing the SOFM. The international team of staff have all arrived and we have started training and praying this week for the time of prayer we will be having here in Shillong. There will be maybe 50 people involved for 8 weeks and we are so looking forward to this time. These past couple of days have been so incredible. We have had really good times of worship and seeking God. It is so good to be in His presence and praying for the Northeast and surrounding nations. My cup is overflowing.

The DTS left yesterday for their outreaches and so truly this is a season of massive change. So many things are going on and we are happy.

Bamboo Dance

There is a family from Tripura (part of NE India) living underneath us and occassionally we'll hear loud thumping noises outside. They have this cultural dance called the Bamboo dance where boys will hold and hit together these long pieces of bamboo as the girls do difference dance steps throughout the moving bamboo. So today for the past couple of hours they have been dancing outside and they are laughing like crazy. I love to watch them from our terrace.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go on a picnic with the SOFM to Cherrapunjee. Cherrapunjee is three hours away and supposedly the wettest place in the earth, receiving a large amount of rainfall . We are just finishing monsoon season and so supposedly there are 7 waterfalls there these days.

These days and weeks continue to go by so quickly. My health is doing a bit better, and my antibiotics are nearly finished. I'm supposed to see the doctor in the next couple of days for a check-up. I've still been feeling really weak and the medicine has bad side effects like headaches and nausea, but hopefully it's killing all of the parasites. Houser has been so kind in taking care of me the past few days. He is a gift from God to me.

neat story

A lady recently came here from a western nation and told us this incredible story. I know I can't remember it word for word, and this is the very short version,but as she shared it with us, there was hardly a dry eye in the room. It so speaks of the Hugeness and Kindness of God.

This friend has been working in Kabul for the past three years and has grown to deeply love that nation. She has learned the language quite well and has been involved in different roles there. After a difficult year, she went back home to be with her family and to take some rest.
One night she was driving in her car, crying out to God and asking Him what her purpose was in life and if He really had a plan for her to be in such a difficult nation. The year had been filled with so much pain and hardship, with little visible fruit. She was frustrated with many different situations and needed some hope and encouragement.

She went to help her parents at some Church service and after a while, she told them she was going to get something to eat. She went on the main road and went to one of the first restaurants she found, a place selling kebabs. So she goes inside and much to her amazement a man from the country in which she works, is working behind the counter. She starts talking to him in his own language and he is so surprised that a girl with yellow hair, so far from his homeland, knows his own heart language. They talk for a while and she gets some food and leaves.
As she was driving in her car again, there was a desire in her heart to bless him and encourage him. She wanted to tell him about the love of God, but was scared and didn't know how to. She remembered that she had a delicacy from his home place, some very old, quite smelly, curd. I guess they keep it for a year until it gets just right. Needless to say this stuff could not be found in her home country. As she was praying for him, she decided that she would go and give him this curd and also bring a Bible in his heart language.

So some days later, she drives back to the kebab shop and nervously enters, searching for the young man's face. She begins to talk to him and asks if he likes this curd stuff. His face brightens and he said "Yes, I love it, but I haven't had any for five years." She produces this large bag of the precious curd and he is awestruck. She then asked him if he went to school and of he could read. He said that he hadn't gone to much school but that he could read his own language. She nervously offers him the Bible, not sure what his response will be, but as he takes it from her and opens it, he nearly starts crying. He told her that he was the only Christian in his family and he had been praying for a Bible for a long time. Needless to say, as she left that place, both of them had been greatly encouraged that there is a God and that He hears our prayers. What are the odds that thousands of miles away from his homeland, God brought a simple girl, who could speak Farsi, bring him his favorite food, and bring him a Bible that he was praying for, that he could understand.

One of her main points and encouragements to us was that we live our daily lives and minutes for that Day when we see His face. There is a day when we will see Him face to face, and there will be people from every tribe, tongue, and nation surrounding His throne. We need to make our daily decisions and choices with a perspective of eternity and the beauty that awaits us there. It's all gonna be worth it.

the days are flying by

Sorry, I've been horrible at writing lately. We've been super busy with a myriad of activities and my health hasn't been so good. We went to the hospital yesterday and they think I have some sort of amoebic dysentery. I had to have an ultrasound done, but they didn't find anything horribly wrong, so I just have to take antibiotics for a week. I'm really hoping that the medicine works. The doctor said that if I don't get better, they want to put a camera in my stomach and look around. With all my heart, I hope it doesn't come to that.
Besides that, so many good things are going on all around us. There are only two weeks left of the Discipleship Training School and then the group will break into two different outreach teams. They will be going on outreach for nearly two months.
The SOFM has 4 weeks left and it has been going really well. Right now we're trying to help the students figure out where they will be going for their two year internship. Many of them have a heart for China and Bhutan.
Beginning in early October, for 8 weeks, we are having a time of concentrated prayer for the Northeast and surrounding nations. Many people are coming for this time and we are greatly anticipating it.

We're thankful the weekend has come and so now we can rest a bit. I will try to write more faithfully.

dog for lunch

Normally for lunch and dinner here we have rice, dahl, and some sort of potato. A couple of times a week we try to have some sort of meat, like fish, beef, pork, or chicken. The Northeast is very different from the other parts of India in that the people really love all sorts of meat here.
Today we had dog meat for lunch. I've already had it a couple of times and so I didn't have any, but you should have seen the faces of all of the staff and students here. Beverely said that their faces were glowing like angels, and sher too tried it for the first time. For dinner they had the intestines and brain. They put the brain and other parts inside the stomach and cook it, and then eat with rice. It's really true.

It was a bit tough I heard, even though we cooked it for over 3 hours. Everyone began joking that it must have been the defender of Happy Valley and in very good shape, so it wasn't very soft.

We really have so many neat people here right now and our days keep flying by like crazy.

10 Year Anniversary

On Saturday we celebrated the 10 Year Anniversary of the commissioning of our base. It was a neat day. We had a total of about 100 people with us, all of the staff and students that are here, plus friends and family that have walked alongside us through the years. Many people came from out of town to celebrate with us and it was a memorable time. We had a great feast after the ceremony was finished with chicken, pork, squash, and salad. So many of our staff worked for hours preparing all of the food, and preparing for this day. It was a true labor of love.

Houser and I are dressed here in Kham Tibetan traditional clothes. We borrowed them from our friends and I felt like a little kid playing dress up. Many of the people here wore clothing of unreached people groups and we had a time of prayer interceding for the Tibeto Burman Region.

We also had a time of commissioning one of our staff here that has a heart for Mongolia. He is leaving the country in the next couple of months and we greatly love him. I cried a couple of times during the night as I was overwhelmed with love for these people and joy for the things that are happening around us.

We have continued to be really busy these days and so I haven't had a lot of time to write, but we are doing well. I will try to post some more pictures soon.

Luke's Birthday

My handsome nephew Luke, turns 5 today, and I can't believe how quickly he is growing up. He's very smart and a talented athlete. He's also a proud big brother now and I really can't wait to hang out with my two nephews. For a long time He has called me Aunty Mer because when he was little he couldn't say Summer, but Mer was close enough. So these days I'm known as Auntie Mer who lives far far away.
Happy Birthday Luke!

grace

Before our times of intercession we've been having everyone take turns and share about different characteristics of God and aspects of His heart. I have a passion for this because this is our glory in this life, to know Him more deeply. He is our reward, He alone satisfies our heart.

Today one of our staff shared, and it was about grace. I loved it. This was the definition he used: "Grace- In spite of our many failings, He delights in us and gives us far more than we deserve." He shared about his life and told how God changed his heart radically and it was purely because of His grace. He told of a time when he was sitting, full of shame in a corner, not even knowing how to pray. He said the life that he lived was so bad, he didn't know if God could or would ever forgive him. He only knew that God was real and he whispered, "God, if you can forgive, please forgive me." He said that he didn't hear the audible voice of God, but in that instant He felt in his heart His presence and he started weeping, knowing all that he had ever done had been forgiven in an instant. It's so incredible because now he is one of our most mature staff and a worship leader and has plans to go to minister in a different country. It is by the grace of God that our hearts can be changed. He alone gets the glory for all of it, plus He delights in us in the midst of the process.

One of my favorite things these days are the small groups that we have. Sunny has been gone this week, so I have her small group also. So all of the girls come to my house and we share what is going on in our lives and what God is teaching us, and then we pray for each other. Plus we have tea and snacks. Tea is a must for any visitor that comes to your house. I look forward to this time.

Last Friday a group of us went to visit the Tibetan Monastery on the hill. We've been trying for a long time to build relationship with them and they are often in our prayers. I told the group it was going to be a long walk, but I think they didn't believe me. On our journey one of the boys said, "We're not going to the monastery, we're mountain climbing," and we all laughed like crazy. It's a bit of a journey, but I love the walk. We pass some waterfalls and see some beautiful places on the way. It was neat this time because we had a boy with us who speaks a launguage that they fluently understand. There are 13 monks who stay there and they spend the large part of their day chanting their scriptures and praying. Their perserverance and devotion always moves me and challenges me to pray and study more.

after a long time

This last Saturday was my 27th birthday and it was a restful day. Houser made me homemade biscuits and a cheese omelette. He was so cute and wouldn't let me go into our kitchen until he had set everything up. So he put some orange juice out and set everything very nicely and then called me to come in and eat. It was delicious and a lot of fun. I got to talk to my mom and sister on the phone too, which was really nice because I seem to miss my family a lot more on special holidays. I love my family and long to see their faces.

We've been super busy with this SOFM. Houser is teaching this week and so both of us have had our days filled with much activity. We have a really good group of solid students and are excited to see what is going to happen in these months together.

So many things have happened since I've last written. Our days have been full and sometimes we hardly see each other as our responsibilities these days are very different. So it's an entirely different season of life and our hearts are being stretched and hopefully enlarged.

I've been really thinking lately about what Jesus said about serving each other and how this is true greatness. There is something incredibly humbling about serving others and it doesn't come naturally to the human heart. To do the small things faithfully, when no one else is looking, completely unto Him. I've been really praying that God would give me a servant's heart and finding daily that I'm really in need of more grace. He's a King, All Powerful, and All Beautiful, the Creator of everything and He came to serve and lay down His life for love. That's amazing, He is altogether lovely.

an eventful day

Today was incredibly meaningful as it was our first day of SOFM and more importantly the day Theja and Aren's son, Ziza was born. Houser is hilarious. He got to go and visit Theja and Aren in the hospital and he came home with two pictures, both of Theja taking a picture of his new baby. So we don't actually have a picture of the abby yet, but we will definitely get one in the days to come. I got to go and visit Aren in the hospital tonight, but they only bring the baby to them when it's not visiting hours. Aren is doing well, albeit a little worn out.

We have 9 students for the SOFM and today we mostly spent in getting to know each other and sharing expectations for the next three months. Houser and I were talking today about the quality people that have come and we feel excited for the weeks and months ahead of us.

Sunny made the banner in this picture and it's hanging in our classroom. The first time I saw it, I nearly cried. The people on the banner are representative of the Tibetan Buddhists. Then we have all sorts of different flags hanging in the room as well: China, India, Tibet, and Bhutan. It's incredibly bright and colorful in there. It's been a full and fruitful day. We are so happy that Ziza Lohe has finally come into this world.

musical night

Last night the DTS had a "musical night" where groups of the students sang a song in their own language. Most of our students are from different tribes in Nagaland, as well as some other Northeast states, and most tribes have their own language. It was so beautiful to hear them singing and worshipping God. They are incredibly gifted musicians.

The DTS has being going on for a few weeks now and our SOFM will be starting this Wenesday. This week Houser will be teaching in the DTS about discipleship and I'll be starting to full-time staff the SOFM. I'm so excited for this school to start and we have been spending quite a bit of time preparing for the students to come. This one is going to be Tibetan Buddhist focused, meaning we will be working mostly with students who have a heart to go to China and Bhutan. Right now we have 9 students that are coming and there is a lot of expectation in our hearts for the next three months.

It has been officially ten years that a base has been stablished here in Shillong and this month we are going to have a 10 Year Celebration Party. There are so many people in the area that have helped us and poured their time and energy into this place, and many more that are no longer here that have helped to build and establish this base. So we are going to have a small program and dinner and celebrate what God has done in these past ten years and try to honor those who have played key roles. It's exciting.

"O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6

the enchanted forest

Growing up I would always read books by Enid Blyton about the Enchanted Forest and all the many advetures that the children would go on frolicking in the woods. There is something so mysterious and beautiful to me about forests, the gatherings of tall, green trees. One of my favorite things about our house is that we have a balcony in the back with the view of a small forest. We hang our clothes there to dry and sometimes I'll sit out there and read and drink some coffee. There are always some sort of birds singing and chirping, and I love the fresh air.

Just recently, down below us, someone has started building a house and I'm a little worried that they're going to steal our view. Here in Shillong people build house upon house upon house. They have or inherit a small piece of land and so they can't build much unless they build up. The flat where we stay is the second level, and there is one above us. So if the people who are building below us build a couple of stories, the beautiful forest will be covered. Hopefully it will at least take a while, I'll be sad to see it go.

Somehow you can never seem to capture the beauty of a sunset with a camera. These days are monsoon season here and so we have had quite a bit of rain and sometimes we have incredible sunsets with all manners of color displayed in them. During the night we have silent lightning across the sky. I've never experienced it anywhere else in the world. For hours, all across the sky, the lightning pulsates, lighting the darkness, but without the sound of thunder. I like to go up on the terrace and watch it, it's so beautiful.

We had a friend, Ayophy, come over to our house today and she brought her little 6 year old niece. While Ayophy and I were catching up, her niece became quite bored and asked me for some markers and paper. The resulting art is posted above. I thought it was so precious and cute. I said "Who is this?" and she said, "It's you Auntie." (All married women are called Auntie here, even though it makes me feel a little old.) My favorite part was Houser's pants and brown boots. It makes me smile every time.

It's Saturday and the whole day Houser hasn't left the couch. He's doing an Inductive Bible Study on Acts and so has been studying all day long, searching through different Bibles and books. He has a lot of teaching coming up the next couple of weeks in both the DTS and SOFM and just finished a couple of days teaching at a Training Center nearby. This time is really full for both us and it's been quite enjoyable. As he shared, we have so many people coming and going these days and it makes life very interesting.

History in the Making (by Houser)

Hello around the world.

Today is July 6th, the 71st birthday of the current Dalai Lama - leader
of Tibetan Buddhism. This date could also be of historical
significance for our work here in Northeast India. One of the main
goals we have in our work with the Shillong base is to train and send
Northeasterners to places like Tibetan China. Today, after being
closed for 44 years, the border between India and China was opened in
the nearby state of Sikkim (just to the west of the country of Bhutan).
As of now, we can't tell how good this news is, but my hopes are high.
Currently, if we (or those we train) want to go to China, we have to
go first to Thailand. This is not only out of the way, but it is also
expensive. There is no way to do it without flying, which adds a lot
to the cost of the trip. For some of our local workers, it seems
impossible to raise the hundreds of dollars required. With this new
border crossing that opened today, we may be able to get to China for
$20 or less.

At the moment the border is only open for business. China and India
are both keen on increasing trade with each other - giving each the
large population of the other to sell various goods to. Today's
ceremony was mostly symbolic, and I read that only residents of the
state of Sikkim were allowed to cross to China. But in the days to
come it is possible that they will allow more freedom for the sake of
tourism. The Chief Minister of Sikkim even suggested that they would
like to start a direct bus service to Lhasa. Oh how I would love to be
on that bus! If that happens, it would be a great blessing to our long
term workers - and possibly even allow us to send short-term teams! It
would seriously change things for us in major ways.

Just the other day, July 1st, the Chinese government inaugurated a new
train linking Tibet with the rest of China. The project has caused a
lot of criticism from Tibetans who fear their culture is being wiped
out by the majority ethnic Chinese. At the same time, it will allow
increased tourism and trade to the region, which again helps our long
term workers who also need to travel throughout the area.

So I wanted to write to all of you and ask if you could join us in
prayer for history in the making. The news coverage is all about how
cheaper electronic items will come down from the North, but our prayers
are for much more than that. Please pray for a release of the Gospel
through this border. And on this day, as Tibetans around the world
celebrate the birthday of their leader, let's join together to ask for
that God would touch their hearts in a powerful way.

Please also pray for our current DTS and upcoming SOFM (it starts on
the 19th), that we would be faithful to train, equip, and send more
young workers to these needy places of the world. My wife and I will
be quite busy in the coming months. It's a bit overwhelming to have so
many people coming through our base at this time, but it's exciting to
see what God has for us as we walk with Him. Please pray that we would
be faithful in all of our opportunities.

Blessings to all of you in all you are doing. Thank you for standing
with us. I believe history will thank you too.

Benares

For about 6 years I have really had a heart for Varanasi, formerly known as Benares, City of Lights. It's a place where millions of Hindu pilgrims go to each year for a plethora of reasons. Some believe that if they take a bath in the Ganges, their sin will be washed away. Others believe that when you die near the Ganges, you will be set free from the cycle of karma, and finally at peace. Others go there to receive a special request in prayer by their favorite god, although Varanasi is known to be the home of Lord Shiva, the destroyer. In Hinduism there are over 330 million different gods and the rules and dogma aren't very clear cut as there are many different ways of belief and practice. Houser and I got to go there earlier this year for a meeting and as Bev and I had often talked about and prayed for Varanasi in the States, we wanted to go there together and pray. It's a place where people are seeking truth and salvation, it's a place where the hungry and desperate come seeking refuge and reprieve. Many foreigners can be found in Varanasi as well. Thousands go to a school there called Benares Hindu University and there are a bunch of hippies and those who want to become Hindus as well.

It was the weirdest thing. Bev has really been into the World Cup as this is the first time Australia has been in it since 1974 and so the night Australia was playing Italy, we found a little restaurant that was playing ESPN. We sat down and ate and soon the place was full of many foreigners from all over the world. A man from Mexico, a few from Israel, Italy, America, England, and all over. Some were hippies and travellers, some were studying tabla (an Indian drum), one European man was dressed like a sadhu in orange, with long, flowing white hair. All were gathered to watch the World Cup in this little restaurant, it was a funny sight.

We were there for a few days and then met Houser in a different state where they are wanting to run Mission Adventures. He was doing doing some training for the staff there and so we met him and have returned to Shillong tonight. Now we really won't be leaving Shillong for the next 5 months. The DTS has started and in a couple of weeks the SOFM (School of Frontier Missions) will begin. I'm going to help staff that full-time and I'm truly looking forward to that.

Ganges River

This is an excerpt from Lonely Planet's India, regarding the Ganges River:
"The Ganges River, or Great Mother as it is known to the Hindus, provides millions of Indians with an important link to their spirituality. Every day about 60,000 people go down to the Varanasi ghats to take a holy dip along a 7 km stretch of the river. Along this same stretch, 30 large sewers are continuosly discharging into the river.

The Ganges River is so heavily polluted at Varanasi that the water is septic- no dissolved oxygen exists. The statistics get worse. Samples from the river show the water has 1.5 million faecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml of water. In water that is safe for bathing this figure should be less than 500! "

It's the craziest thing being here in Varanasi and seeing literally hundreds of people bathing and swimming in this water. Hindus believe that it will wash away all of their sins, that it is truly holy. Millions of hindus come here every year on pilgrimage to bathe themselves in the Ganga and to pray. But with 30 sewers being pumped into it continually, the ashes from the burning ghats ( where they cremate dead bodies) being thrown in, not to mention dead babies, trash, and all manner of other things, it seems far from holy. People also drink the water. We watched yesterday as a mother poured some into her hand and gave some of the "holy" water for her child to drink, then she drank some herself. Our hearts break for these people and we have been praying like crazy that God would reveal His kindness to them and fill their hearts with His love and truth.

mercy

I've been thinking a lot lately about the vast mercy of God and it has been the greatest resting place for my heart. I love His mercy. On this trip I've been reading portions from Tozer's "The Knowledge of the Holy," and his chapter on God's mercy has touched me deeply...

"When through the blood of the everlasting covenant we children of the shadows reach at last our home in the light, we shall have a thousand strings to our harps, but the sweetest may well be the one tuned to sound forth most perfectly the mercy of God."

One of my favorite meditations about Jesus these days has been about Him and the women caught in adultery. Some people brought her to Him as she was caught in the very act and deserving to be stoned to death as the law commanded. Jesus could have done and said anything. I love His heart displayed. So there she was, guilty, humiliated, full of shame, and face to face with Jesus. In her place of shame, He showed the kindest mercy. He could have easily had her stoned. He could have used her as a public example and hurt her deeply by denouncing her life and actions in front of the crowd. But in this place of vulnerability, He gave her a way out. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

He possesses all power, created the heavens and the earth, and He is full of mercy and lovingkindness. So many of us are in the place of this woman caught in adultery over and over again. Maybe not as publicly, but we find ourselves broken, hurting, condemned by our own hearts and others, guilty, full of pain and rejection. His heart is the same now, He does not condemn us, but calls us to Arise and choose life and truth. It's only because of His mercies that we are not consumed. Sometimes in my mind I feel like His love is going to come to an end, that He searches the deepest places of my heart and is disappointed, that I'll never fully be who He wants me to be. I feel as though somehow I can exhaust the limits of His mercy towards me. But it's impossible because His mercy is not something that He can take on and off like a jacket. It's such an intricate part of His very nature and character, His innermost being. He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Mercy exists because He is merciful.
He doesn't give us what we deserve but looks on us with great compassion and understands that we are but dust. Truly there is no other god in this world that offers this mercy and love. There are millions of 'gods' and multitudes of religions in this world, but there is only one God that freely lavishes us with love.

"Mercy never began to be, but from eternity was; So it will never cease to be. It will never be more since it is in itself infinite; and it will never be less because the infinite cannot suffer dimunition. Nothing that has occurred or will occurr in heaven or earth or hell can change the tender mercies of our God. Forever His mercy stands, a boundless, overwhelming immensity of divine pity and compassion." -Tozer

Noah

Here is a picture of my nephew when he was 11 days old (he's about two weeks now). It's the weirdest thing that I can have so much love in my heart for this little baby that I have never held or seen in person. I love him and I want so badly just to hold him for a while. Family is so important and a precious gift to us in this life.

Airport

We love the Bangkok airport because there are all sorts of interesting things to look at and Houser especially loves the Burger King there where he can get a whopper with real beef in it. A lot of places here in India will have hamburgers on the menu, but usually it's some kind of chicken meat, or ham, and more often than not, he's seriously disappointed. It makes sense actually, it's called a hamburger, why do we make it with beef?

We've spent so many hours in this airport waiting for connecting flights and the time usually goes by so quickly. We took this picture of cigarettes because it's the kind of advertising that causes a second glance. All of the boxes had the most bizarre pictures on them: rotting teeth and gums, black lungs, fathers holding children smoking, it was the oddest thing. As we walked on, they were selling whole cartons of cigarettes with big black letters on it that says
"Smoking Kills." I'm not very sure why they did all of this, but it is really hard to picture someone coming up and buying a pack with a picture of some black, decaying lungs on it. It doesn't seem like a very good advertising scheme, true as it may be.

We're back in Shillong safely, and as ever, it's so good to be home.